


Until Time Runs Out

by guccilovinlouie



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 06:57:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16849294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/guccilovinlouie/pseuds/guccilovinlouie
Summary: At birth, everyone is given a timer that counts down to the second they die. Some wear their timer around their neck, some forget about them whereas others live their lives depending on how much time they have remaining. Nothing has ever changed someone's timer, they have never sped up or slowed down. They remain at a constant, steady speed until zero.However for Harry and Louis, this isn't the case...





	1. 0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 29 Minutes

**Author's Note:**

> Mentions of death and mental health from the beginning! 
> 
> Thanks for reading :)

•Harry•

He doesn't have much time left. Not that it matters to him. He is ready to die and has been ready for quite some time now. 

His name is Harry, a lonely 17 year old made to live through the pains of modern society whilst studying at college. During his last year of secondary school, he pushed away his last few remaining friends as he knew he was going to die very soon - it would be easier to die without them knowing. 

The weather was the complete opposite of what he expected it to be like the day he died. It was a crisp October afternoon, the sun was glistening lazily across the horizon, the air was clear with a gentle breeze blowing through his curls. 

His head felt the complete opposite. He was suffocating in his own thoughts, being squashed by his impending death. They swallowed all his emotions, making his facial features look harsh and unwelcoming to passersby. However he was screaming for someone to notice his discomfort within himself, someone to notice his daily suffering. 

Harry wanted to die to dull the thoughts, to release him from the pain. Ironically, it was death that made him feel this way in the first place. He was fed up of his brain not functioning the way it did when he was a child. A carefree boy with so much life left to live. However, now he was the quiet one. The 'avoid him, he's weird' one. 

To help find relief from his brain, Harry went to the doctors to get at least some pills. The up beat, doctor told him a long list of problems widening from anxiety to depression and many more. However, Harry was denied any help. The stupid fucking timer made sure of that. 

After being stuck in his daze for a few minutes, Harry pulls the timer out from his black t-shirt to check how much time was remaining. 

0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 29 Minutes

He looks up to check his surroundings after trudging through his home town for the last hour. Harry made it to his favourite comfort place. It wasn't quite paradise but the local lake was quiet and secluded enough. 

The ducks were swimming happily across the water creating small ripples in their wake. The trees were so beautiful but dying as their leaves turn yellow, fading to a darker orange, turn brown before finally making their descent to the ground below; left to decay amongst the mud. 

Harry wondered how he was going to die. Know one really knows until the second it happens. Was he going to die in an accident or would he take the plunge herself? Only time would tell. He woke up from his thoughts again to see he was stood in front of the water, not knowing what to do next. 

0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 27 Minutes

Harry decides to sit down on the grass, feeling the moisture from last nights rain soak into his jeans; the cold becoming soothing. Harry wasn't alone. People were walking their dogs or families walked with their children, laughing as they run without a care in the world for how much time they have left. 

"Hey, I'm sorry to bother you but I can sit with you please?" Harry heard a voice ask, presumably to him.

He nods his head, not bothering to look up at the person stood to his side. Harry hears them sniff before sitting down on the grass next to him. Quickly, he remembers to check his timer to try and figure out if this mysterious character has anything to do with how he was going to die. 

0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 25 Minutes

Harry sighs and shakes his head. Twenty five minutes can feel like a whole lifetime.

 

•Louis•

Louis couldn't understand why it had to happen. Why did he have to die? Louis just wasn't ready.  But here he was, Sat by the side of a lake with some random lad who probably doesn't even know he's going to witness a death today. 

He knew he had no control over when he was going to die, that's just how society was, but Louis did wonder if the world could take into consideration how fucking great his life is. 

Now, he was sat next to someone he has never met before on a random October afternoon. 

"Hey, I'm Louis. Do you have a name?". Louis politely asks the boy whilst watching a family of ducks swim merrily through the water. 

"-M Harry". A voice replies thick with emotion and despair, startling Louis as he didn't really expect a reply. 

Louis wipes his swooping fringe away from his eyes before reaching into his pocket of his denim jacket to retrieve the timer. Unlike other people, he didn't like to keep it around his neck as it made it feel heavier as the time ticked down. 

0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 20 Minutes

"Do you know what the time is? Please...". Louis hears Harry's voice, this time laced with sadness. 

Louis checks his phone for Harry. "It's half two mate. Are you alright?". He asks him, not wanting to intrude but he can't help but wonder whats wrong with the mystery boy. 

Louis looks at him for the first time. He's slightly taller than him, long brown curly hair cascades around Harry's shoulders with a few odd curls falling in front of his face. His face is full of emotion, bright emerald eyes shining with tears. His lips were chapped with a soft pink colour underneath.  
Louis was mesmerised by how beautiful Harry was, but he couldn't get attached. Louis is dying soon. 

His hand obviously didn't get the memo and reaches out to touch Harry's arm. Just to reassure Harry that everything is okay. However the moment Louis' hand brushed Harry, it felt like time had stopped completely. Louis felt completely re-born, the air felt cleaner and his bones felt stronger than ever. 

Louis knew Harry felt it too as he jumped at his touch before his eyebrows furrowed together in a straight line. His mouth opened slightly forming an o shape. 

Louis shakily turned his timer over in my palm to check the time he's got left, praying it's not long because he couldn't fall in love with this boy now. 

0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 18 Minutes

"D-does that say 18 Minutes?" The emerald boy asked looking at Louis' timer whilst holding his firmly in his grasp on his chest. 

Louis nodded weakly, embarrassed ridiculously by the small amount of time he had left. Harry turned his timer timidly with shaky hands to show Louis his time.

0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 18 Minutes

Louis gasped and looked into Harry's eyes as they stare back into his blue ones. He has never met someone with the same amount of time left as him, not that it's really a question you ask people. They had both been looking at each other for over a minute when it suddenly struck him. 

"They're not changing."


	2. 0 Years, 0 Months, 0 Days, 18 Minutes

•Harry•

It stopped. Harry's timer stopped. His heart pumped still in his chest. The thoughts in Harry's head became dull whereas his ears became clearer and his eyes felt brighter. Harry had never felt so free, like a weight that's been holding him down all his life had finally been lifted. 

And it was all thanks to the lightning blue eyed boy. Harry looked at his face which shared the same amount of shock as his. Louis' fringe lied smoothly across his forehead delicately framing his face. He was so smaller in comparison to Harry, the kind of small that makes you want to hold them and never let go in fright they'll blow away. Harry looked down at Louis' hand that lays on his arm still, the touch that lifted massive burdens off both of there shoulders. 

"Tha-thank you." Harry stammered, not trusting his own voice right now. 

Louis launched himself at Harry. He was expecting Louis to hit him but Harry felt Louis' small arms wrap around his shoulders, his face smothered itself into Harry's neck. Their bodies melted together as Harry felt him start to sob. Immediately, Harry began to stroke his soft hair with his clumsy hand. Tears began to stream down his cheeks too. However being used to crying, Harry cried silently in comparison to this boy in his arms. 

Harry watched the world go by as he rocked Louis like a baby. A world that suddenly felt limitless. He watched as couples walked by happily hand in hand. He smiles through the tears as he realised that can be him one day now.

"What are you thinking about?" Louis delicately asks, startling Harry. He smiles before answering him. 

"We can live the lives we wanted to live now. We aren't limited by any timer. I finally feel free of everything that's been hurting me for years." 

"Wow. Have you really lived your life like that?" 

"Mmhm. It was very hard to block the thought out. For me anyway. God, I'm telling you my life story." Harry chuckled shaking his head before running his hand through his own hair, brushing it out of his face. Louis sits up on Harry's lap and faces him, his arms wrapping themselves around his shoulders. Harry blushes at the sudden intimate touch. 

"Well Harry, this is what's going to happen. We keep this a secret. As we both are here alone, I'm guessing you didn't tell anyone you were going to die today?" Harry nodded quickly in response, feeling suddenly submissive. 

"Great. Obviously I want to get to know you Harry, we are the only two this has ever happened to! As we know of anyway."

"Sounds good to me. After all, we have no idea what this means." Harry replies before biting his lip in between his teeth. 

"Oi, don't do that." Louis says before poking his lips. Harry getting a sudden shiver from his touch and feeling it linger on his lips after his finger leaves. 

"Sorry. It's a habit." Harry mumbles before almost doing it again. 

They both grab their timers to check what they were showing. 

ERROR ERROR ERROR 

They both started to chuckle, a noise that hadn't left Harry's throat in a long time. Louis looked at him and also started laughing like a madman. He stood up off Harry's lap and grabbed his hands to pull him up. Once Harry was finally on his feet they started to run. 

They are free.

Harry and Louis ran and ran for ages, not caring about the burn in their lungs that made them remember we were still alive. They actually avoided death and to Harry, that's insane. He couldn't believe that the day that was going to be Harry's worst, ended up being his best. 

He looked at Louis is who was stood panting next him. His skin glowed in the afternoon sun, his eyes sparkling like the sea. He had such small features that made him seem like a child, Harry didn't even know how old he is. 

"Louis? How old are you?" Harry asks him timidly between breaths. 

"I'm 18, how 'bout you?" Louis replied, his accent strong in his words. 

"Oh, I'm 16. My last year in secondary" He scratched behind his neck at the sudden awkward feeling. 

"Anyway, you're legal." Louis smirked at Harry before he could process his words, a blush appeared on Harry's cheeks before Louis took off running again. Harry ran after the smaller yet older boy afraid to lose a friend, if Harry could even call him that.

Harry finally caught up with Louis when he was standing still on the top of the incline. Hands in the pockets of his jacket, obviously feeling the cool October breeze. They both stand side by side, watching the world go by in the town below. A world they would now get to experience. 

•Louis•

After spending a couple of hours sat in comfortable silence on the hill, Harry and Louis decide it's best they headed home. A sentence they both chuckled at as it was unexpected they'd be going home alive today. 

Harry and Louis walked down a road heading towards Harry's house. After Louis insisted on walking Harry home, Harry finally gave in. 

"You didn't have to walk me home you know, It's not like I'm going to die." Harry smiled sheepishly with his silly joke. Louis laughed just to show his appreciation of the boy which made Harry's smile wider showing his dimples. 

The boys stood still outside a smallish cottage which Louis guessed was Harry's house. Louis smiled up at Harry before sticking my hands in my pockets. Louis got cold easily. 

"Bye bye Harry, I'll be seeing you around I guess." Louis says before turning around to continue his walk home. However, he felt a strong hand grab his wrist stopping him in his tracks. 

"Wait. I think you forgot something." Louis turned back around frowning at harry. 

"Huh? I don't have anything except myself, my phone and the timer."

"You forgot to give me your number." Harry replied with a sudden cockiness to his voice. A huge laugh erupts from Louis' throat before he reaches for the phone Harry was holding out to him. He enters his number into Harry's contacts then takes a goofy photo as his photo ID and hands the phone back to Harry. 

"Enjoy." Louis winked at him before finally turning around and walking away from Harry. Louis hoped Harry was watching as he purposefully moves his hips more giving Harry quite a show. That boy will be the death of Louis, quite literally he thinks.

As Louis turned the corner, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. 

Unknown Number: I know you're doing that on purpose. 

Louis guesses that must be Harry. He smirked before typing in his reply. 

Louis: Don't act like you hate it ;) x 

Harry: Whatever. Just wanted to tell you that I'm grateful we are both still alive, I really hope I get to see you again soon Louis. I feel like I've known you forever. Good night. All the love, h x 

Louis smiles endearingly before locking his phone after reading Harry's message, before arriving at the doorstep of the flat he shared with his best friend Niall. Louis knocked on the door hastily, the early evening chill biting his fingertips. Niall opened the door before Louis throws himself on him embracing Niall in a tight hug. 

"Hi Louis, what did you do that for?" Nialls Irish voice asks him, muffled as Louis pulled his head into his neck. 

"I'm just so glad to be alive."


End file.
